Sailors (cast)

[A PAIR OF COMMEMORATIVE FIGURES OF SAILORS FROM HMS EXCELLENT, ONE WITH A SWORD IN EIGHTEENTH CENTURY COSTUME, THE OTHER IN LATE NINETEENTH CENTURY UNIFORM ARMED WITH A RIFLE]

Price Realized £3,346

Elkington & Co. (cast by)
A pair of Commemorative figures of Sailors from HMS Excellent, one with a sword in eighteenth century costume, the other in late nineteenth century uniform armed with a rifle
bronze, each wearing a hat inscribed H.M.S Excellent, one holding a sword in his right hand on a square base inscribed to the side Elkington & Co. Copyright, the other holding a rifle in his right hand on a square base inscribed Elkington & Co.
one: 16in. (41 cm.) high; the other: 16½ in (42 cm.) high
a pair (2)


Peter Walton has kindly provided the following information regarding this lot:

Both figures are seamen of the Royal Navy and both are wearing the same clothing, there is merely a difference of headdress and of weapons and personal equipment and not as stated in the catalogue.

The figure on the left of the catalogue illustration is wearing the naval straw "wideawake" hat issued through the second half of the 19th century and is carrying an issue cutlass. He also has a pistol and an ammunition pouch. The right-hand figure in the catalogue illustration holds a Lee-Metford rifle of a type introduced in 1888. The figures probably illustrate dress from around the 1890s and not as stated in the catalogue.